News Release 11-069
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
1111 Israel Road S.W., P.O. Box 42650, Olympia, WA 98504-2650, (360) 902-8500
Don Hoch, Director
Virginia Painter (360) 902-8562
Sandy Mealing (360) 902-8559
Wash. Telecommunications Relay Service: (800) 833-6388
State Parks Commission announces special meeting next week
OLYMPIA –
Dec. 2, 2011 –
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will have a special meeting next week in Olympia to consider agency budget reduction plans.
The meeting is scheduled to begin at 9 a.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, in the Environmental Hearings Office on the third floor of the Washington State Parks Headquarters Building at 1111 Israel Road S.W., Olympia.
The Commission will consider an agency reduction plan in order to ensure a balanced budget in the 2011-13 biennium. Because revenues are not coming in at projected levels this biennium, the Commission has been working on a strategy to transform its operating model so the agency can live within its means in the short-term, while continuing to make investments for long-term sustainability.
A core concept behind the reduction plan is to keep parks open in order to continue to build support for the Discover Pass. The new user-fee program was launched in July to replace General Fund tax dollars no longer available to operate state recreation lands.
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